2019–20 AHL season

The 2019–20 AHL season was the 84th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began October 4, 2019, and was officially cancelled on May 11, 2020.[1][2] The 2020 Calder Cup playoffs, which was also cancelled, would have followed the conclusion of the regular season. The league suspended play on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, and was not able to resume play.[3] The Milwaukee Admirals claimed the league's regular-season trophy, the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, their second regular-season championship.

2019–20 AHL season
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
SportIce hockey
DurationOctober 4, 2019 – March 12, 2020
Regular season
Macgregor Kilpatrick TrophyMilwaukee Admirals (2nd overall)
Season MVPGerald Mayhew
Top scorerSam Anas

This was the final season under David Andrews' 26-year tenure as the president of the league. He was succeeded by Scott Howson.

League changes

For the first time since 2012, there were no team changes in the offseason. The league also retained the same four division alignment of 31 teams, with teams in each division playing 76 games except for the seven-team Pacific Division with 68 games each.[1] The Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for the regular season champion was awarded based on points percentage.

Coaching changes
Off–season
Team2018–19 coach2019–20 coachNotes
Charlotte CheckersMike VellucciRyan WarsofskyVellucci left for the WBS Penguins head coaching position after leading the Checkers to the 2019 Calder Cup. Warsofsky was promoted from the assistant coaching position.
Cleveland MonstersJohn MaddenMike EavesMadden resigned after three seasons and one playoff appearance. He was replaced by Eaves, a longtime Wisconsin Badgers head coach, but most recently with Div. III St. Olaf College.
Hartford Wolf PackKeith McCambridgeKris KnoblauchMcCambridge was fired after two seasons and never making the playoffs. Knoblauch was hired after serving as a Philadelphia Flyers assistant following several seasons as a head coach in major juniors.
Rochester AmericansChris TaylorGord Dineen[lower-alpha 1]Taylor was called up to the Buffalo Sabres as an interim assistant coach when Don Granato had to take a medical leave of absence days before the season was to start. Dineen was named interim head coach of the Americans.[4]
San Diego GullsDallas EakinsKevin DineenEakins was promoted to head coach of the Anaheim Ducks. Dineen was hired on July 15, 2019, after serving as an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks. Dineen had previously been the head coach of the Portland Pirates in the AHL and the Florida Panthers in the NHL.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsClark DonatelliMike VellucciThe Penguins hired Vellucci after his successful stint with the Charlotte Checkers and Donatelli resigned.
In-season
Team Outgoing coach Incoming coach Notes
Rochester AmericansGord DineenChris TaylorFollowing Don Granato's return to his assistant coach position with the Buffalo Sabres, Taylor returned to his head coach position with the Americans. Dineen had a record of 11–3–1–2 as interim head coach of the Americans.
San Jose BarracudaRoy SommerJimmy Bonneau
Michael Chiasson		The San Jose Sharks fired head coach Peter DeBoer on December 11, 2019, promoted assistant coach Bob Boughner to the position of head coach, and brought up Sommer as an associate coach for the Sharks. Sommer had been head coach of the Sharks' AHL affiliate since first being named to the position with the Kentucky Thoroughblades on May 28, 1998, and had a record of 772–743–122. Assistant coaches Bonneau and Chiasson were named as co-coaches of the Barracuda.[5]
Texas StarsDerek LaxdalNeil GrahamThe Dallas Stars fired head coach Jim Montgomery on December 10, 2019 due to unprofessional conduct, which resulted in the promotion of assistant coach Rick Bowness to interim head coach. This move resulted in Laxdal being promoted to the assistant coach role that was vacated by Bowness. Laxdal had a record of 198–152–55 as head coach of the Texas Stars since being hired in 2014. Texas Stars assistant coach and former Idaho Steelheads head coach Neil Graham was named as Laxdal's replacement on December 10.[6]
Toronto MarliesSheldon KeefeGreg MooreOn November 20, 2019, Keefe was promoted to the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs after Mike Babcock was fired. Moore was named the next head coach of the Marlies on December 1.
  1. Interim

Standings

Eastern Conference

Final standings as of March 11, 2020[7]

Atlantic Division GP W L OTL SOL Pts Pts% GF GA
Providence Bruins (BOS)6238183382.661197154
Hershey Bears (WSH)6237183481.653187157
Charlotte Checkers (CAR)6134225073.598202172
Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)6231206573.589171173
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (PIT)6329263566.524164193
Springfield Thunderbirds (FLA)6131273065.533190186
Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI)6224283758.468161186
Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI)6323335253.421152206
North Division GP W L OTL SOL Pts Pts% GF GA
Belleville Senators (OTT)6338204181.643234197
Rochester Americans (BUF)6233204575.605181173
Utica Comets (VAN)6134223273.598210186
Binghamton Devils (NJ)6234244072.581189182
Syracuse Crunch (TB)6230234569.556202210
Laval Rocket (MTL)6230245368.548183182
Toronto Marlies (TOR)6129273263.516206212
Cleveland Monsters (CBJ)6224315255.444159192

Western Conference

Final standings as of March 11, 2020[7]

Central Division GP W L OTL SOL Pts Pts% GF GA
Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)6341145390.714211141
Iowa Wild (MIN)6337184482.651194171
Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)6329273465.516177193
Chicago Wolves (VGK)6127265362.508155175
Rockford IceHogs (CHI)6329302262.492156187
Texas Stars (DAL)6227283461.492171192
San Antonio Rampage (STL)6124257560.492161184
Manitoba Moose (WPG)6127331055.451160190
Pacific Division GP W L OTL SOL Pts Pts% GF GA
Tucson Roadrunners (ARI)5836191275.647198163
Colorado Eagles (COL)5634183172.643188162
Stockton Heat (CGY)5530174468.618194170
San Diego Gulls (ANA)5730196268.596185164
Ontario Reign (LA)5729225164.561166198
Bakersfield Condors (EDM)5621275350.446162202
San Jose Barracuda (SJ)5521275249.445179192

Statistical leaders

Leading skaters

The following players are sorted by points, then goals. Final as of March 11, 2020.[8]

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Sam Anas Iowa Wild 6320507010
Reid Boucher Utica Comets 5334336745
Gerald Mayhew Iowa Wild 4939226168
Josh Norris Belleville Senators 5631306121
Alex Barre-Boulet Syracuse Crunch 6027295622
Drake Batherson Belleville Senators 4416385424
Alex Formenton Belleville Senators 6127265365
Brayden Burke Tucson Roadrunners 5121315234
Chris Terry Grand Rapids Griffins 5721305132
Daniel Carr Milwaukee Admirals 4723275020

Leading goaltenders

The following goaltenders with a minimum 1200 minutes played lead the league in goals against average. Final as of March 11, 2020.[9]

GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (in minutes); SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout loss

Player Team GPTOISAGASOGAASV%WLOT
Dan VladarProvidence Bruins 251407:086564231.79.9361471
Igor ShestyorkinHartford Wolf Pack 251454:376984631.90.9341743
Connor IngramMilwaukee Admirals 331905:419136121.92.9332155
Kaapo KahkonenIowa Wild 342058:209727172.07.9272563
Vitek VanecekHershey Bears 311832:118276922.26.91719101

Calder Cup playoffs

The 2020 Calder Cup playoffs was a planned playoff tournament following the conclusion of the regular season to determine the champions of the American Hockey League. On May 11, 2020, American Hockey League President and Chief Executive Officer David Andrews cancelled the remainder of the season and the Calder Cup playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] It is the first time in league history that the Calder Cup was not awarded.

AHL awards
AwardWinner
Calder Cup Not awarded
Les Cunningham Award Gerald Mayhew, Iowa Wild
John B. Sollenberger Trophy Sam Anas, Iowa Wild
Willie Marshall Award Gerald Mayhew, Iowa Wild
Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award Josh Norris, Belleville Senators
Eddie Shore Award Jake Bean, Charlotte Checkers
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award Kaapo Kahkonen, Iowa Wild
Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award Troy Grosenick & Connor Ingram, Milwaukee Admirals
Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award Karl Taylor, Milwaukee Admirals
Fred T. Hunt Memorial Award John McCarthy, San Jose Barracuda
Yanick Dupre Memorial Award Troy Grosenick, Milwaukee Admirals
Jack A. Butterfield Trophy Not awarded
Richard F. Canning Trophy Not awarded
Robert W. Clarke Trophy Not awarded
Macgregor Kilpatrick TrophyMilwaukee Admirals
Frank Mathers Trophy
(Eastern Conference regular season champions)		Providence Bruins
Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy
(Western Conference regular season champions)		Milwaukee Admirals
Emile Francis Trophy
(Atlantic Division regular season champions)		Providence Bruins
F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy
(North Division regular season champions)		Belleville Senators
Sam Pollock Trophy
(Central Division regular season champions)		Milwaukee Admirals
John D. Chick Trophy
(Pacific Division regular season champions)		Tucson Roadrunners
James C. Hendy Memorial AwardFrank Miceli
Thomas Ebright Memorial AwardDavid Andrews
James H. Ellery Memorial AwardsLarry Figurski
Ken McKenzie AwardAllie Brown, Iowa Wild
Michael Condon Memorial AwardPeter Feola
President's AwardsOrganization: Charlotte Checkers
Player:

All-Star Teams

First All-Star Team[10]

Second All-Star Team[10]

All-Rookie Team[11]

See also

References
  1. "2019-20 AHL SCHEDULE UNVEILED". AHL. July 10, 2019.
  2. "AHL cancels remainder of 2019-20 season". theahl.com. May 11, 2020. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  3. "AHL suspends play". American Hockey League. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  4. "Sabres, Amerks announce coaching staff update". AHL. October 1, 2019.
  5. "Sommer gets call to join Sharks". AHL.com. December 11, 2019.
  6. "DALLAS STARS APPOINT NEIL GRAHAM AS TEXAS STARS HEAD COACH". texas Stars. December 10, 2019.
  7. "AHL Standings". AHL. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  8. "Player Stats TheAHL.com". AHL.
  9. "Top Goalies - TheAHL.com". AHL.
  10. "2019-20 AHL First, Second All-Star Teams unveiled". TheAHL.com. May 20, 2020.
  11. "2019-20 AHL All-Rookie Team named". TheAHL.com. May 23, 2020.
Preceded by
2018–19		 AHL seasons Succeeded by
2020–21
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